Mary Alice Monroe's newest novel, A Lowcountry Christmas, isn't your average love story. There's no childhood friend that reappears or a mysterious woman who moves into town, but instead the story of a family's love and their struggle to discover the strength of their family bond. There is no doubt this book will pull at your heartstrings and evoke a few happy tears.

There are always ways to update our wardrobes in a new season, especially in the fall. It’s always been the start of the fashion calendar.  And this year, there are lots of ways to put a new spin on the old standbys. So here’s a quick list of the basic must-haves to get you started. Take notes on these fabulous five fashion finds:

Fun Finds for Fall!

Most of the tourists have gone and Beaufort County is embraced by true Lowcountry folk, full-time residents and winter snowbirds. It’s our time to party after another long spring and summer of servicing our wonderful guests. Nothing beats the venue of an oyster roast. There’s complexity to the physiology and proper preparation of the oyster but there’s nothing complicated about the process or the people eating the meat of these succulent bivalves. The conversation is light, the attire is casual, the beer is cold, the consumption is messy and a community has come together!

All politics aside (completely impossible these days) I offer up three ideas—three luscious fruits—to move you toward better health, greater happiness and an organic chicken in every pot.
Just to remind you, lifestyle change is a step-by-step kind of thing. No one can do it for you, not even your next president. Sometimes it’s two steps forward, one step back. And that’s OK, because every day you can begin again, eating smarter, moving instead of sitting, mindfully releasing the stress and heebie-jeebies that come from watching the Hillary and Donald show.

Halloween isn't just for trick-or-treating, it's a great time to throw a bone-chilling party to gather friends and family for a fun night out. A Hallween party doesn't have to just be about the costumes, check out these recipes, games, products and music to keep your party rockin' all night!

In October 2015, more than a thousand people participated in the Pat Conroy at 70 Festival celebrating a milestone birthday and honoring the iconic southern writer in his hometown of Beaufort. The event was a once-in-a-lifetime gift to the community and to the author himself, who passed away from pancreatic cancer just months later. The immersive festival model proved to be so successful the organizers are continuing it as an annual event and now calling it the Pat Conroy Literary Festival. Under the leadership of Jonathan Haupt, director of the University of South Carolina Press and Conroy’s partner in the Story River Books fiction imprint, and in partnership with USCB professor of English and author Ellen Malphrus and Bonnie Hargrove, director of the USCB Center for the Arts, the inaugural Conroy Literary Festival will be held October 20–23. Details and the festival’s expansive lists of events, presenters, partners and sponsors can now be found at www.patconroyfestival.com.

Can you imagine a rainy day wedding with a rainbow appearing in the sky at the end?  A lucky bride and groom had that happen at their wedding in 2010 at beautiful Palmetto Bluff, and the wedding planner was none other than local girl Ashley Rhodes.  Although she doesn’t take credit for the rainbow, it is just an example of the fairy tale weddings Ashley has masterminded, as her website states “From Charleston to Savannah and everywhere in between.”

Our customers love: Our motto—”Life is too short to wear department store jewelry!” All of our items are made on site.

Our customers love: They know we are always there for them. Located in the heart of the south end of Hilton Head since 1983, our salon has built its reputation on being consistent and accommodating to our loyal clients, as well as those new to us.

Our guests love: That we offer all aspects of hair needs with an emphasis on hair color.

Our customers love: Being the most important person in the room—the focus is 100% on them. Also, they love us making their skin the absolute healthiest it can be. Our clients are always commenting on the major difference in their skin with regular facials. Like anything else, maintenance is important for aging skin. I was also featured in Pink for my waxing abilities, which we pride ourselves on making the client as comfortable as possible.

Our customers love: The time we dedicate to each of them! When a customer sits in our chair, we spend time on the consultation, making sure we understand completely what each person is looking for, whether it is their first visit or they have been with us for years. We believe that client education is important. We want to make sure our guests understand how to take care of the styles we have created with them, using the correct products and styling techniques. Education assures that their style will continue to satisfy their expectations.

Our customers love: Clients love that we have a Fast Fit Success Guarantee. We guarantee you will lose 3 to 9 inches of fat in 45 days! (That’s fast! And, many clients lose more than 3 to 9 inches in less than 45 days!) Our awesome clients also love our caring lipolysis technicians. Clients look forward to coming in for their relaxing and invigorating fat loss sessions.

It’s a total transformation, and it happened fast. Only months ago, Greg Luther of Bluffton made a decision to do something that would change so much about his life. What he did, is now being noticed by all who know him.

Ok ladies and gents...can we REALLY lose fat and inches by going to a spa like clinic versus a sweaty gym? That is the big question that I needed an answer for, so, I looked into some of the fun, interesting, and sometimes painful tools that are out there to help us with those stubborn areas.

The skinny on us: Established in 2016. My husband Michael and I opened Body By Design in 2016, with a desire to give people in Charleston the most up to date equipment available to help them achieve their body sculpting goals. We had a lot of choices when it came to which equipment we were going to offer, and after extensive research we truly believe that UltraShape delivers what is says and that it is much safer than freezing or heating the body to eliminate fat. This product is congruent with my philosophy that above all, we should not do harm to our bodies. I am a natural practitioner and feel very good about bringing this to friends here in the Lowcountry.

Our customers love: Our fun atmosphere and the way we listen! Clients know that we care.

Our customers love: The friendly welcoming atmosphere and personal service they receive. Transformation Medical is a combination of a primary care medical practice and medical spa that has all the tools to keep our clients feeling great and maintaining their youthful appearance.

Our customers love:  That we listen to them, instead of us doing all the talking. Only by listening can we understand and achieve their wishes, goals and desires. They also love our attention to details.

Our customers love:  Show your colors, Embrace your style, Love the beautiful you.

Our customers love: The ability to shop a “big city” selection in a small town atmosphere.
The skinny on us: Over the past 35 years, our family-owned business has established itself as an island landmark and was recently named “Small Business of the Year” by the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.

Q: What are some of the most common questions patients have when they come to LUX?
A: The questions usually depend upon the patient’s age. Women in their 20s ask about lines in forehead and lip augmentation. 30 and 40 year old women become more concerned with 11 lines between the brows and enjoy playing with cheek as well as lip volume to get a desired look. Women in their 50s and 60s are less aware of volume loss than overall sag, particularly upper eye lid, brow and corners of the mouth. They say “I’m tired of people asking am I tired or sad.” Creases in the forehead and between the brow worry men more, but just as with women as they age, volumizing with filler also improves a man’s look. Logically the corrections I make with fillers and Botox or Dysport are directed to restore the patient’s natural volume and lift.

The skinny on us: Our mission is to be the premier choice for medical aesthetics and skin enrichment services, such as Botox, dermal fillers, CoolSculpting, laser hair removal, microneedling, and our newest procedure—microblading for the eyebrows! Co-owned by Frederick Weniger, MD of Weniger Plastic Surgery and Carmen Traywick, MD of May River Dermatology, LUX~ A Medical Spa has been voted by patients as the “Best Medical Spa” for the past two consecutive years since opening our doors in 2014.

Toss out any preconceived notion of what an Italian-American woman should be like. The Italian-American Club of Hilton Head (IACHH) powers that be, passed a rule a few years ago declaring… NO RULES (ta-da!) regarding one’s ethnic heritage when applying for membership to the club. That’s right, you read it here first. You don’t have to be Italian to join the Italian-American Club.

Debbie Timen has been making cheese blintzes since she was 11 years old, when she stood beside her grandmother in the kitchen and learned the family recipe. Although her grandmother passed away only two years later, she made a life-long impression on Deb. A perfect balance of sweet and savory, blintzes are a long tradition for breaking the fast after Yom Kippur. It is thought to be easy on the stomach after fasting for 25 hours. According to epicurious.com, “…it is common to serve dairy-focused dishes—rather than meat-based ones—because many people find them easier for empty bellies to digest. A typical spread includes bagels with lox and cream cheese, baked casserole-style dishes like strata and kugel, blintzes and assorted cookies and cakes.”

The Hilton Head Choral Society (HHCS) will be opening their new season of song 100-plus voices strong. A large percentage of those singers are women who have been trailblazers in their own right.  Comprising over 60 percent of the chorus and 80 percent of the choral society board, these women have served as leaders of major corporations and innovators in their communities and hail from many states across the U.S. On September 9, this diverse group of women will help lead the Hilton Head Choral Society in a concert that focuses on what makes us ALL strong—our great nation.

We’ve all heard the fashion forecasts: “The ‘40s are back,” “The ‘50s are back.” It’s true that designers are often inspired by the past. But what if you could just take your pick of any of these trends all in one place? Enter the vintage vibe. Whether you discover a treasure trove of oldies but goodies at a local boutique or troll the Internet for a rare find, wearing vintage clothes does take some moxie. But it can pay off big time in the style department if you do your homework.

I know I’m sticking my neck out here, but it’s high time we take a deeper look at what lap-level technology is doing to our bodies as we spend hours and hours, day after day, year after year, looking down at our phones, our screens, and now, our politicians.

We all know about getting physically fit: Participate in aerobic exercise; do some weight training; walk whenever you can. But how much do you know about getting fiscally fit? It’s not difficult, but it does require a plan.